Ocean City 2050: Master Plan should come next

Originally published in the print version of The Ocean City Sentinel
September 3, 2025
by Jim Kelly

To the Editor:

We congratulate City Council on its near-unanimous decision to reject designating Wonderland Pier as an area in need of rehabilitation and instead pursue a master plan review of the entire Boardwalk.

The decision should make us all proud. In taking this path, Council moved us forward in a thoughtful and inclusive way, rather than a rushed and exclusive manner that would have benefited only one developer.  They didn’t say “no” to progress, as some have argued; they said yes to smart planning for the future. That is how you govern.

Unfortunately, the process leading up to the decision also revealed tragic failures of leadership by the Mayor and then-Council President (current Vice President) Pete Madden. A year ago, these two leaders should have seized the moment. They should have communicated clearly, launched a master plan process, and engaged the community. They should have welcomed a discussion of alternatives, reaffirmed their promises against high-rises on the Boardwalk, fully disclosed any financial conflicts, and created an opportunity for the city to unite rather than fracture.

They did not. Luckily, the rest of City Council stood up and did the right thing. Bravo to them.

So, what should come next? The City now has three clear priorities:

1. Begin a thoughtful master plan process.

Ocean City has experienced significant change over the past decade. The time has come for a thoughtful, inclusive review of both its current status and its future direction. The plan should set a clear and inspiring vision for the next 25 years—one that balances growth, preservation, and family values.

That review should not be limited to the Boardwalk. While the Boardwalk is unique and beloved, it cannot be addressed in isolation. Nearly all of the city’s challenges—parking, affordability, sewage, flooding, density, and the balance between preservation and development—are interconnected. A solution for one area must be a solution for all.

Equally important is how the process unfolds. A master plan, done correctly, can build trust and foster community engagement. Done poorly, it will do the opposite. The City must ensure that the process is open, fact-driven, thoughtful, inclusive, and includes representation from all walks of life. 

2. Protect and strengthen the Boardwalk as our economic engine.

The Ocean City Boardwalk is unique: it is both family-friendly and an important economic hub, and it has served the city well.

But the closure of Wonderland has left a vacuum at the north end, and business owners there are suffering. The City must act. 

First, whatever rises at Wonderland will take years to materialize (and before anyone takes aim at this point, the proposed hotel would have also taken years, even without the inevitable lawsuits that would have gone forward). The city needs to take speedy, concrete steps to energize that end of the Boardwalk in the interim. When the City rejected citizens’ calls to do this in 2025, the result was a significant loss of business for those shop owners. That mistake cannot be repeated in 2026.

Second, the City must ensure that the current owner does not allow conditions at the pier to become unsafe or unwelcoming. He has publicly stated that the pier is unstable—he should be required to make all necessary repairs. The owner is responsible for nostalgic Ocean City assets—the City must work with him to protect them, and encourage responsible investment and a vision that benefits the entire community.

3. Lead with good government.

Beyond updating a master plan and protecting the Boardwalk, there are many other critical issues that our government must lead and make decisions on in the coming months— including controlling its spending, managing growth responsibly, and ensuring we remain a prime tourist destination. In everything it does, our City must hold itself to the highest standards of leadership. Decisions must be open, fair, and rooted in the public interest—not rushed, closed-door deals that serve only a few.

Leading with good government now means governance that is thoughtful, transparent, and reflects the voices of the entire community.  Ocean City is filled with talent, ideas, and passion. This needs to be embraced, not suppressed. Moreover, to build trust, potential conflicts of interest among city leaders should be disclosed openly, and officials should step aside from decisions where personal gain could create even the appearance of bias.

Ocean City 2050 will work closely with the rest of the community to ensure the City does its job—and we will hold our leaders accountable. We encourage every resident to stay engaged. As we saw with the Wonderland Pier proposal, the community’s voice is powerful. Let’s continue to use that power for good.

Council has taken the first step. Now it’s time for all of us to work together, with openness and integrity, to create a shared vision that will ensure Ocean City continues to thrive as America’s Favorite Family Resort for generations to come.

— Ocean City 2050